The Catholic Church Cannot Teach Error
The Catholic Church Cannot Teach Error
St. Paul writes, "The gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For neither did I receive it of man, nor did I learn it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12).
Considering the historical reality that only one Church can trace back to Jesus and the Apostles, via an unbroken line of apostolic succession, it only makes logical sense that the Church founded by Our Lord would also possess the promises given by Him. This includes the promise to be with His Church until the end of time (Matthew 28:19-20), and to send her the Holy Ghost so she could be guided into all truth (John 14:26, 16:13).
The only one which can trace back to Our Lord is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, which has the Bishop of Rome for as her earthly prime minister, and has Jesus as her eternal King. It is God Himself who guides His Church so that she can never teach error in any authoritative capacity.
God demands that we accept His teachings, which were revealed to the world through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. He takes this very seriously. "God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). Since this is His desire, He therefore does not leave His children in the dark. And He certainly does not leave them to the whims of their own private whims and interpretations. He provided a teaching Church, and He ensured that His Church would be protected from authoritatively teaching false doctrines so that the world could know the knowledge of the truth.
Our Lord taught, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). This assumes that the teachings of Jesus are able to be known so they can be believed. He entrusted His teachings to the Apostles, and they in turn entrusted them to their successors. And the Holy Ghost protects them in this process. To deny that truth is to deny the plain words of Our Lord.
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus specifically says, "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days." Notice how Our Lord promises to be with His Church specifically in her teaching. If Christ is with her in this way, then it follows it is impossible for her to authoritatively teach error. Again, if one denies this, then they are at odds with Jesus and Sacred Scripture.
Matthew 16:18 "I will build my church. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Christ again gives us full assurance that His Church will be protected from leading souls astray through incorrect teachings on faith and morals. St. Paul even calls the Church "the pillar and the ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). How much more clear can it be? If the pillar had cracks, it could not uphold the building. But strong and unbreakable, the building stands firm.
This is why we can not pick and choose which teachings we like from Our Lord, and we certainly can not conjure up our own teachings and, even worse, ascribe them to Him! This would be a grave sin. We must be completely docile and conformed to everything Jesus came to teach us. Just as the Supreme Court tells us authoritatively what is taught in the Constitution, even more so, the Church of Our Lord decides and settles on any disputes regarding the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. And in doing so, she can not make a mistake at all, as the Bible plainly and clearly teaches.
